1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to cosmetic compositions whose major component is petroleum jelly and which incorporates inositol phosphates.
2. The Related Art
Petroleum jelly is one of the oldest skin treatment products still in commerce today. For over 100 years, the Chesebrough Company and its successors have sold the substance under the brand, Vaseline.RTM.. There is good reason for the longevity of this product. Its occlusive and healing properties render this product especially efficacious against dry and damaged skin.
Inositol phosphate is a medicinal of more recent discovery. A wealth of literature surrounds the beneficial chemistry of inositol phosphate. Most of this literature focuses upon the medicinal aspects involving oral ingestion of the material. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,051,411 (Siren) utilizes inositol phosphates to reduce the negative effects of ingested toxic metals such as lead, mercury, nickel and chromium to prevent or alleviate disorders based upon such metals. Typical disorders disclosed were immunodeficiency, hypertension and dermatitis. Related disclosures are found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,015,634 (Siren) directed at preventing or alleviating tissue damage and U.S. Pat. No. 5,019,566 (Siren) directed at treating an inflammatory condition, such as arthritis. U.S. Pat. No. 5,023,248 (Siren) describes methods for treating diabetes or its complications by administration of inositol triphosphate.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,082,833 (Shamsuddin) discloses a method for moderating the rate of cellular mitosis by treatment with inositol phosphates. Target diseases are leukemia, AIDS and fungal or protozoal infections.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,059,594 (Sawai et al.) reports the use of phytic acid and ferric ions in compositions directed at the removal of uraroma and body smell, detoxication, treatment of diabetes and hyperlipemia, remediation of erythrocyte flexibility and dysmnesia and the inhibition of the proliferation of fat cells.
A much smaller body of literature has suggested the use of inositol phosphates such as phytic acid in the cosmetics area. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,605 (Alt) incorporates phytic acid with a variety of other substances into a composition for mitigating male pattern baldness and testosterone-induced acne. U.S. Pat. No. 5,268,176 (Znaiden et al.) reports the use of phytic acid for topical treatment of telangiectasia, a dermatological condition commonly known as spider veins. A considerable number of disclosures are related to the use of phytic acid as a dental care product, among the more recent being U.S. Pat. No. 5,300,289 (Garlich et al.).
While it is evident from the foregoing that inositol phosphates are useful in a broad range of medical treatments, knowledge about their cosmetic activities is still at a formative stage.
Delivery of inositol phosphates in a vehicle such as petroleum jelly appears to present potential for even higher levels of effectiveness than previously found with aqueous cream and lotion vehicles. Inositol phosphates are unfortunately not readily soluble or dispersable in petroleum jelly. Systems are required which can aid dispersion of these hydrophilic substances into petroleum jelly.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide cosmetic compositions having inositol phosphates uniformly dispersed or solubilized within petroleum jelly.
Another object of the present invention is to provide cosmetic compositions with skin healing, moisturizing, conditioning, skin lightening and other improved functional activities.
These and other objects of the present invention will become more readily apparent from consideration of the following summary and detailed description.